Pro Evolution Soccer 5 review

It’s funny, you know. The first game I ever reviewed was actually FIFA 2001. Back then I was completely enamoured with EAs footy series, but after a while, my affection turned towards Sony’s This is Football. That particular romance lasted for a couple of years, until I finally discovered the belle of the ball – Pro Evolution Soccer.

So I’ve been just about everywhere, but today, in the year of 2005, we have to see if my latest love will last. On an otherwise perfectly ordinary Friday, I got an eagerly anticipated mail from my editor, which said that Pro Evolution Soccer 5 had arrived at the office. I quickly decided that waiting a whole day for it to arrive by post was not an option, so I rushed in and grabbed it in person. When I got back home, it was finally time to lock my door and isolate myself in front of the TV screen.

A huge disappointment

I have to admit that I was tremendously disappointed after I had flipped through the menus for the first time. Sure, they looked a little different, but everything seemed to be just like in the last game. Sure, you can now play online and exchange data between the PSP and PS2 versions, but is this really all Konami has given us this time?

Obviously, a lot of work has gone into making the online part, but I don’t really care for playing online on my PS2 at all. I don’t need the fun to extend beyond my room in order to be happy. A look at the team roster did reveal a few new names, but apart from this, everything looked like it was business as usual.

We want something new

As always, you can choose to play in the Master League, in which you start off in the second division, and work your way to the top. Furthermore, you can play a number of national and international tournaments, but we’ve seen them all before.

As you win matches and trophies, you’re rewarded with points that can be spent on unlocking items in the game’s shop. The only new content available consists of a few balls and some more good old football stars. Finally, you can also buy the sixth difficulty setting, but there aren’t really any cool new items that you’ll really desire. Yes, on the surface, PES5 appears to be exactly like its predecessor, only with new backdrops and music.

At that point I was feeling rather queasy – had Konami really jumped onto the EA bandwagon, as it looked at its worst in the beginning of the new millennium? Was this really another sports game with no innovations whatsoever?

And we get what we want

Luckily, things turned out to be different after all. The lack of innovation extends only to the surface of the game. Once you dig in, you’ll discover a feast of wonderful proportions. Even though the game looks much like its predecessor once you start playing, it is quite simply better and even more brilliant than ever.

Graphically, nothing too heart-stopping has happened. The animation, the player faces and the surroundings have gotten a bit of an overhaul, but the overall improvement is limited. The most evident visual improvement has taken place on the stands, where things seem livelier than before.

As is the case with the graphics, the sound really hasn't improved much either. It's passable, but nothing more, and this particular writer still doesn’t understand why Konami insists on using the same two old hacks as commentators. They were never great before, and they still aren’t. Granted, they may not say as many downright wrong things as before, but it’s often hard to tell exactly which match they’re really watching.

It’s really strange why Konami allows the game to have such bad sound, when the rest of it is so sublime. It’s a bit like attaching a caravan to a Ferrari.

The fight on the grass

Ferrari or no Ferrari, PES5 really shines when it comes to gameplay mechanics. You’ll quickly see that even little changes can have massive consequences. Most importantly, the ball control has become far more difficult. Passes and dribbles will no longer stick to the boots of players, because the ball has gained a nasty tendency to react naturally to contact. If you receive a fast pass, the ball will inevitably roll a bit away from you, and if there’s an opponent in the vicinity, you’ll almost certainly lose it. And you need to dribble carefully – it’s no longer as easy to get fancy.

The above changes create a harder, but more realistic gameplay. You can’t just zoom around with the sprint button held down all the time. The same is true with the passing game. This time, you can’t just press the pass button mindlessly, you actually have to aim for your team mates. And the receivers must really run to reach difficult passes before the defence does.

These things will certainly make you swear and curse the lack of abilities in your players during the first few matches. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll find the game to be much more like reality than its predecessors.

Advantage rule invoked – continue playing

On of the major points of criticism in earlier editions of PES has been the incomplete database. It’s still not quite there in terms of correct names of players and teams, and you’ll also have to use the editor this time, if you want a completely authentic experience in this regard. It’s not the biggest problem in the world, but it takes time to correct and remains a nuisance.

The referees have also been pretty sickening in previous PES games, but Konami has addressed this issue now. The defensive play mechanisms have also been changed, so that sliding tackles have become easier to do, and aren’t punished nearly as often by the refs. Conversely, normal tackles have become more difficult, and many free kicks are awarded because of them. It’s frustrating in the beginning, but it’s also quite realistic, and once you get used to it, you can really cover the ball, and force free kicks on many occasions, when the opposition tries to snatch it away.

The new tackling system causes many more free kicks to be awarded. Luckily, the referees have also learned the advantage rule this time, and they use it very often. Unlike in PES4 4, where you would get a free kick even if the ball were successfully passed to a teammate, play will continue here. In the same vein, the man with the whistle might refrain from blowing it even when a gross foul is committed, in order to allow the situation to play out, and then get out an appropriate card. Talk about attention to detail.

And speaking of details...

The marked improvement in PES5 is mainly due to a host of little details. If a player is injured, this will be indicated by a small exclamation mark at the top of the screen. If the game continues, and you choose to kick the ball over the side line, so the player can get treated, the opposing team will give you the ball afterwards – fair play, and a nice detail indeed.

The new offside rule is also in the game, so the whistle will no longer be blown automatically if the player hasn’t got any influence on the game. And if you’re behind shortly before the end of the game, your keeper will automatically go on offence in a desperate attempt to secure the equalising goal. With such new treats inside the package, I can forgive Konami for not including more leagues and menu items.

Just like last year, I’m not at all in doubt regarding the overall grade. In spite of the graphical and sonic shortcomings, we’re looking at another thundering 10. Once the ball is in play, nothing else matters but the battle between the twenty-two men on the grass. If you’re the least bit into football, spend your shillings on Pro Evolution Soccer 5. It really is as good as it gets.

Source: Boomtown Denmark
English version by: Jonatan A. Allin (neonwolf)